Photos by pazreal

This was my camp that I set up before making an attempt on the Middle Teton. The camp was at around 10,000ft. elevation. The day after this shot was taken I attempted to hit the summit but didn't feel strong enough and turned back at roughly 11,500ft. It was my first real mountain experience and I hated it, although I will return to finish what I started.

This is me on the Black Boulder Dyno (V?). The real cherry is the line to my left, but between burns this is indeed a fun distraction. Be warned that the top is slopey and you can (I have) flip off of it and face plant. Really funny but not fun at all.

This is a super awesome problem that I was told was put up by John Gill at some point. It is at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton NP and was pretty tough. One thing is for sure, climbing on that rock made me realize why Gill started using chalk because it was pretty slick, still it was a fun diversion from the "real climbing" up above in the park.

This is my friend Adam climbing for his very first time outside and loving it. He is doing one of the countless eliminates and contrived problems on Rat Rock. We usually call him D.A.R.Y.L. because he is sick like a cyborg (the name comes from the 80's movie with same name about the awesome cyborg kid). Definatly worth going to a few times because it is a really cool setting.

This was the view that I had driving into Grand Teton NP on my first trip west and it was amazing. Right away I knew I wanted to climb it and tried a few days later. It was my first real sight of a mountain and I think that everyone should go to this park and experience its majesty at least once in their lives and probably more than that.

Leaving a good day of bouldering at Jenny Lake driving back towards the Climber's Ranch I was struck by the sky just igniting and took a few shots, this one is one of my favorites because the colors seem almost surreal but that is exactly what I saw through my lens that day.

This was my first 5.12 climb that I ever did, it took me a few tries and because I am a boulderer it suited me well as it was only about 5 bolts long. It is a really cool climb at Summersville Lake on the DC Memorial boulder.

This is me on Winter's Agony, a very appropriate name because the hold that my right hand is about to work ended up tearing off the entire pad of my middle finger a few weeks later. It is one of those problems that is aesthetically pleasing but only worth doing once because of the excruciating pain.

This was the first V4 I ever did and still one of my absolute favorites to this day. That heel hook was the first time I actually thought about the concept of total body climbing and I am better off because of it. I definitely recommend this if you are ever in the Gunks.

This is probably one of my favorite boulder problems of all time just because they are super cool moves into a jug then onto like 5.4 climbing above to the top out. It is right on the carriage road so you also get many a spectator as you top out this boulder which is at least at 30-40ft. Definatly a classic.